Have you faced a situation where you needed a professional photographer, other than your wedding or a special occasion? Perhaps for your business or company’s content needs?
Now, more than ever before, it’s relevant to create great content that makes an impact. You can see content platforms are developing very well, from YouTube, Netflix, to Instagram and many more. Everybody is online, yet the competition to stand out as a business is tough.
Once you recognize that a professional visual creator is an important element you need for your business, you would then want to know how to get the best whilst saving time and cost, and most importantly, minimizing the risks. Keep on reading to know things you need to remember before hiring your professional visual creator, specifically a photographer.
1. Understand the Photography profession
A photographer fundamentally creates great photos. For example, by setting the right composition, exposure, aperture, lighting, and so on. It is not as easy as it may seem, photographers put in years of hard work to acquire the level of skills needed, to be considered an expert or a professional.
Sometimes the client might think that the photographer should decide what the creative idea for the photo shoot should be. After all, photographers are the experts, aren’t they? This is not entirely correct. A photographer’s job is not the same as a creative director or an art director’s job. The creative team would be in charge of the creative aspect: generating the main ideas and deciding the shoot requirements according to the idea and the brand guidelines; whereas the photographer would execute based on the creative idea and direction. It can be possible to have the same person doing both roles, but the roles and expectations should be defined upfront, as should the order of the flow – the creative idea before the execution.
So, what can clients do to get the desired professional imagery for their marketing content requirements? Get the marketing and creative teams to develop a Photoshoot Brief as detailed as possible; provide the photographer with visual references in addition to written descriptions, to explain your vision.
2. Think a bit about your Photo Genre
There are so many photo genres – fashion, product, sports/action, editorial, lifestyle, and more. Choosing the right photographer according to his genre or specialization is very important for the photos you require. It can be fatal if you hire a photographer without knowing his specialization or hiring a photographer to produce photos that are outside his specialization. It’s an unnecessary risk and one that can be avoided.
Photos are like books and music. You would find the best pieces for your taste from a creator who has specialization in that genre. Whether it’s pop music or classical music, sci-fi book or crime stories, each is very distinctive. The skills required to shoot with a model includes directing the little things (e.g. hand gestures, facial expressions, standing at the correct angle, etc). On the other hand, shooting athletes requires skills to capture action and good knowledge about specific lenses that work. Therefore, hiring the right photographer according to the genre is non-negotiable.
3. Expect to Work with the Photographer as a Team
You can start by learning how your photographer works. This is essential, especially for new clients who are not used to working directly with photographers. Not all photographers like working with the same process. Some photographers (more traditional ones) like to work on their own – just give them the Brief and get out of their way. But other modern photographers are team-players, they like to get feedback and adjust the shoot as they go along, they might even prefer to have the client at the shoot to discuss the shots as they go along.
But it all starts with a clear Photoshoot Brief, as detailed and well thought through as possible. A Brief should be finalized and not open for discussion or revision once it is locked in. If brainstorming is needed with the creatives and photographer, it should happen before handing over a Photoshoot Brief to your photographer. Photographers like it when your concept is clear and details are well-thought-out. If you have a proper Photoshoot Brief, your photo shoot should run smoothly. You don’t even have to be at the photoshoot (if you don’t want to), and your Photographer will know exactly what you want and what needs to be delivered. This way, the shoot runs as per allocated time, and there will be no extra charges for overtime!
And since the Photographer will produce tons of photos, you would get to select the ones you want as the final edited ones. Also, remember that the selected raw photos require clear editing instruction – because there are so many levels of editing that can be done, and the photographer cannot decide what exactly you (the client) want on his own.
So, always follow these 3 rules, and remember that both you and your photographer contribute to the successful delivery of the photoshoot project. Make sure you get involved efficiently and effectively.
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